Margarine packaging



April 1950 L. 6. BROWN 2,502,920

MARGARINE PACKAGING Filed May 3, 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MARGABINE PACKAGINGLeo C. Brown, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Swift &

Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 3,1946,'Serial No. 667,145

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the packaging of materials with whichmodifying agents are to be subsequently admixed and the invention isalso concerned with the manner in which such mate rials and modifyingagents are associated prior to their admixture.

Representative of the materials and modifying agents generally referredto are, for example, butter substitutes such as margarine, sold, for themost part in uncolored, one-pound packages and the accompanying coloringwhich is intended to be mixed with the margarine. Heretofore, it hasbeen the practice to separately package the coloring employed in smallenvelopes, capsules and the like, although in some instances it has beenproposed to utilize the same wrapper for both the butter substitute andthe coloring. In the latter instances, however, prior practice has beenfollowed in the respect that the butter substitute and coloring areisolated from one another despite the use of the same wrapper. Packagingof butter substitutes and the'coloring employed in connection with suchsubstitutes in accordance with prior practice, therefore, has theobjection that, apart from the material required for this purpose,additional and special operations are required for handling andpackaging the coloring and for assembling the pack= aged coloring in thepackages containing the butter substitute. Also, further handlingoperations are involved in separately removing the butter substitute andcoloring from their respec tive packages incident to the operations inwhich the two are mixed.

One object of the present invention, therefore, is. to overcome theabove objections, this object contemplating packaging of the material inwhich the modifying agent is to be incorporated and of the modifyingagent in such a manner as to avoid the necessity of a separate containerfor the latter or of wrapping the former in any special manner toaccommodate the modifying agent.

A further object is to reduce to a minimum the time and effort involvedin obtaining a thorough admixture of the material and. the modifyingagent, this object being attained by the elimination of the objectionsabove noted in the manner described and the packaging of the materialand the modifying agent therefor in such a manner that the desiredadmixture of the two may be readily efiected by kneading them in thewrapper in which they are packaged.

A still further object is a novel package containing the material andthe modifying agent to be subsequently admixed with the material andalso a novel method of obtaining a thorough admixture of the materialand modifying agent when it is desired that until the material is to beused it retain, at least to outward appearances, all of its naturalcharacteristics such as coloring, for example, the package, having theadvantage, in addition to those noted, that the material and modifyingagent may be readily associated in the manner contemplated with facilityand in a highly economical manner.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereinzFigure 1 is a perspective view of a package embodying the features ofthe invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating, more or lessdiagrammatically, one way in which the modifying agent may be introducedinto the material with which it is to be subsequently admixed; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the material in the wrapper which isapplied after the modifying agent is introduced into the material and inwhich the material and modifying. agent may be kneaded to effect thedesired admixture of the two.

In carrying out the invention, assuming by way of example that margarineis the material to be modified and the usual coloring for such a buttersubstitute to be the modifying agent, the margarine may be formed inconventional manner into the conventional one-pound prints such asindicated at H] (Figure 2) and the coloring thereafter may be injectedinto the latter with the aid of a syringe ii. In this manner thecoloring for an entire print may be concentrated in one, or more ifdesired, local areas wholly within the print and so spaced from thesides of the latter as to be entirely invisible insofar as outwardappearances are concerned. In this connection it will be understood, ofcourse, that when the coloring is injected into the print of margarinein the manner described, the passage formed by the needle of the syringeis closed in any suitable manner after the needle is withdrawn so thatany escape of the coloring to the surface of the print will beeffectively prevented.

As noted, the coloring which is employed may be introduced into theprint at several points, if desired, such procedure having the advantagethat subsequent admixing of the coloring with the margarine will befacilitated. In connection with the foregoing it will be understood, ofcourse, that injection of the coloring into pre-formed prints in themanner described is intended merely by way of example as it will beappreciated that the coloring could be introduced into the margarine invarious other ways either before or after its molding into prints. Inany event, it is essential only that the coloring be incorporated in themargarine in such a manner that it is located wholly within the print sothat to outward appearances the margarine will be of its natural color.

Preferably each print of margarine into which coloring is introduced inthe manner described is enclosed in an air-tight pliable wrapper i2. Thelatter is preferably heat-sealed and of a thermoplastic material such as"P1iofllm or any other material of a like nature which is highlyflexible, water and vapor proof and of high tensile strength. Thewrapped print may be enclosed in a conventional waxed cardboard cartonsuch as indicated at l3.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that, as sold, the margarinewill exhibit its natural color and that it will in no way be modified bythe coloring which is wholly concealed within the print. When it isdesired to mix the coloring with the margarine, the print in its wrapperis withdrawn from the carton and is permitted to soften somewhat.Thereafter the print may be readily kneaded or worked in the wrapper toeffect a thorough mixing of the coloring and margarine. If the wrapperis transparent or translucent, as it preferably is, the state of themargarine can be continuously observed and the kneading or workingoperation terminated when the coloring has been dispersed throughout themargarine in the manner desired.

After the mixing operation, the print may be remolded as nearly aspossible and then chilled so that it will be restored to its normalstate, the

wrapper being first removed when the margarine is to be used.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the margarine itself formsa container for the coloring until the actual mixing operation and thatthe use of the margarine for this purpose is accomplished withoutcoloring of the exposed or surface areas. This has the advantage thatseparate packaging of the coloring and the various handling operationsrequired when this is done are eliminated. Packaging of the margarineand 4 bag may be used, such as paper or parchment, which may or may notbe removed from the product when it is desired to mix the color with themargarine or other material as in a separate container.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention, ashereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing from the spiritand scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposedas are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of packa ing prints of margarine and coloring thereforwhich includes indecting the coloring into the interior of the prints ina concentrated state and in direct contact with the margarine but insuch spatial relation to the exposed surfaces of the prints as to besubstantially wholly concealed, and enclosing the prints into which thecoloring has been injected in pliable containers in which the coloringand margarine may be intimately admixed by a kneading operation.

2. The method of incorporating coloring into margarine, which coloringis to be subsequently dispersed throughout the margarine, which methodinvolves injecting the coloring into the interior of the prints of themargarine in a concentrated state and in direct contact with themargarine but in such spatial relation to the exposed surfaces of theprints as to be substantially wholly concealed.

3. A print of margarine having a quantity of coloring materialincorporated in the interior thereof in direct contact with themargarine and in such spatial relation to the exposed surfaces of theprint as to be substantially wholly concoloring in the manner describedhas the further advantage that it greatly facilitates the actual mixingoperation and enables such operation to be carried out entirely withoutthe aid of various utensils heretofore considered necessary.

Although margarine and coloring therefor have been referred tospecifically, it will be appreciated that various other materials andmodifyin agents for such materials may be aswciated, packaged and mixedas contemplated by the invention.

While the invention has been described in connection with the handlingof margarine in print form, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited in application to margarine or margarine in the form ofprints, as also other plastic materials desired to be colored, such asbutter, cheese foods, cream products, shortenlngs, etc., regardless ofform, may be treated'in a similar manner. Also it is not essential touse any particular type of bag so long as the bag is capable ofkneading. Thus many types of transparent or semi-transparent bagmaterials, such as cellophane, cellulose and polymerized rubber orrubber hydrochloride products may be used. The bag need not necessarilybe heat sealed. Moreover, other types of wrappers than a kneadabie 1scealed, said coloring material being in a sumciently concentrated stateto color the whole print of the margarine when the print is worked.

4. A food package including a body of plastic food material having aquantity of coloring agent incorporated under the surface thereof indirect contact with the material under the surface and in such spatialrelation to the exposed surface of the body as to be substantiallyconcealed by the uncolored material in said exposed surfaces, saidcoloring agent being present in sufficient quantity to impart color tothe entire body when said body is worked.

5. A margarine package including a print of margarine having a quantityof coloring material incorporated under the surface of the margarine andin such spatial relation to the exposed surfaces of the print as to besubstantially concealed and a pliable container for said print in whichthe latter may be kneaded to mix the coloring throughout the margarine.

6. A package of margarine including a print of margarine having anaggregate of coloring material incorporated within the print in directcontact with margarine in the interior of the print and in such spatialrelation to the exposed surfaces of the print as to be substantiallywholly concealed, said coloring material being present in such amount asto color the whole print when the package is worked, and a pliable,heat-sealed, thermoplastic container for said print in which the lattermay be kneaded to mixthe coloring throughout the margarine.

7. The method of packaging, a plastic food product containing a coloringmaterial which is tobe subsequently dispersed .throughout the prodnot,which comprises: incorporating under the surface of said product aquantity of said coloring material in sumcient amount to color theentire body of food product, said coloring material being in directcontact with the product but in such spatial relation to the exposedsurfaces of the product as to be substantially concealed, and enclosingthe product into which the coloring material has been incorporated in apliable container suitable for kneading the contents of the container todistribute the color material throughout the product.

8. The method of packaging margarine and coloring therefor, whichcomprises: introducing a quantitiy of the coloring material under thesurface of themargarine in direct contact with the margarine under thesurface, said coloring material being in such spatial relation to theexposed surfaces of the margarine as to be substantially concealed, andenclosing the margarine into which the coloring has been introduced in apliable container in which the coloring material and margarine may beintimately admixed by kneading.

9. The method of packaging a print of margarine and coloring materialtherefor, which comprises: introducing an aggregate of the coloringmaterial into the interior of the print in direct contact with themargarine but in such spatial relation to the exposed surfaces 01' theprint as to be substantially wholly concealed, said coloring materialbeing in sufficient amount to color the entire print of margarine, andenclosing the print into which the coloring material has been introducedin a pliable container in which the coloring material and margarine maybe intimately mixed by kneading.

10. The method of incorporating coloring material into margarine, whichcoloring material is to be subsequently uniformly dispersed throughoutthe margarine, which comprises; introducing an ggregate of the coloringmaterial into the interior of a body of the margarine in direct contactwith the margarine and in such spatial relation to the exposed surfacesof the 11. The method of incorporating coloring materiai into a plasticfood product, which co1or-= throughout the food product, whichcomprises:

margarine as to be substantially wholly concealed by the exposedsurfaces of margarine containing no coloring material.

introducing a quantity of the coloring material into the interior of abody of the food product in direct contact with the food product and insuch spatial relation to the exposed surfaces of the food product as tobe substantially wholly concealed by the exposed surfaces.

13. A body of margarine having a quantity of coloring agent incorporatedinto the interior thereof in direct contact with the margarine and insuch spatial relation to the exposed surfaces of the margarine as to besubstantially wholly concealed, said coloring agent being adapted to bedistributed through the margarine when the margarine is worked.

14. A package of margarine including a body of margarine having aquantity of coloring agent incorporated under the surface of themargarine in direct contact with the margarine under the surface, saidcoloring agent being in such spatial relation to the exposed surfaces ofthe margarine as to be substantially concealed, and a pliable containerfor said body of margarine in which the coloring agent and margarine maybe mixed by working.

LEO C. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED Number Name Date 2,107,851 Boehm Feb. 8, 1938 2,347,640Peters May 2, 1944

1. THE METHOD OF PACKAGING PRINTS OF MARGARINE AND COLORING THEREFORWHICH INCLUDES INJECTING THE COLORING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE PRINTS INA CONCENTRATED STATE AND IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE MARGARINE BUT INSUCH SPATIAL RELATION TO THE EXPOSED SURFACES OF THE PRINTS AS TO BESUBSTANTIALLY WHOLLY CONCEALED, AND ENCLOSING THE PRINTS INTO WHICH THECOLORING HAS BEEN INJECTED IN PLIABLE CONTAINERS IN WHICH THE COLORINGAND MARGARINE MAY BE INTIMATELY ADMIXED BY A KNEADING OPERATION.